Enough - November 15
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82; Neh. 7:73b-8:3,5-18; Rev. 18:21-24; Matt. 15:29-39
In the stillness of the morning, I sit and reflect on the Bible passages appointed for today. The excerpt from the Gospel according to Matthew (15:29-39) is what grabs me most. Each time I read these verses, a different piece of the story stands out.
This is the gist: Jesus walks on the Sea of Galilee and then climbs up the nearby mountain. He sits down. Crowds follow him and he heals people, so that they regain their voice, their gait, their sight, among other things. The people see the faith healings and praise God. Then Jesus attends to their physical needs, calling on his friends. This three-day event is ending, and he wants them to leave nourished. The disciples pool together seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Jesus tells the great crowd – numbering four thousand men, plus women and children – to sit down. He says words of thanksgiving, breaks the food into pieces, and distributes it to the disciples, who pass out the food to all in attendance. All eat and are filled. The leftovers are gathered up and there are seven full baskets remaining. Jesus dismisses the crowds and gets into a boat.
In these few short verses, we are brought into multiple miracles – and we are given the gift of seeing these exchanges from beginning to end. We get to be with Jesus as he strolls along the coastline and hikes up the hill. We get to observe how he handles the throngs of people with compassion and how he teaches his disciples to be in moments of expectation and uncertainty. Good Shepherd and Gentle Boss. Wow.
I am in awe at how Jesus is not moved by the possible stressors around him. Throngs of people are in the desert and hungry. He stays cool and calm. Yet I am reminded of the times I hosted a party, or back in the early 2000s when I tried my hand at cooking dinner weekly for the Wednesday night program as my church started mid-week programs. Whew! It is a lot of work to pull those moving parts together when not knowing how it will all play out. Do we have enough? Will it be ready on time? While my questions of worry came from a mindset of paucity, Jesus’ approach is grounded in generosity and grace. Miraculously, with God there is enough…and more than enough!
May you feel the joy of being enough in God’s love this day.
With prayers for you this day,
Katherine+
Questions for Self-Reflection and Daily Challenge:
Sit with Matthew 15:29-39 again. Then, pray with God about the spaces in your life that feel "enough" right now. Give thanks to God for those gifts. Turn to the areas that feel empty or broken. Pray that God's grace fills and heals your relationship with those aspects of your beautiful, messy life.